Judges 2025

Chair of the judges: Adam Cadle, Editor, Corporate Finance News, Insurance Asset Management and MoneyAge  
Annabel Brodie-Smith, Communications Director, Association of Investment Companies (AIC)
David Butcher, Founder & Director, Communications and Content
Bella Caridade-Ferreira, CEO, Fundscape
Benjamin Dyson, Principal Wealth Strategist, Foresight
Edward Gordon Hall, CEO, Druces LLP
Jane Hodges, Managing Director, Money Honey Financial Planning
Kate Monserrate, Director, Simplify Consulting
Charles Sunnucks, Fund Manager, Oldfield Partners
Reuben Overmark, Senior Policy Adviser, Retail Markets, The Investment Association

Chair of the judges: Adam Cadle, Editor, Corporate Finance News, Insurance Asset Management and MoneyAge   
Adam Cadle is a business and finance journalist with over ten years’ experience, and is currently the editor of Insurance Asset Management, MoneyAge and Corporate Finance News. He previously worked as deputy editor on Pensions Age and European Pensions. Adam has chaired a number of award judging panels and conferences over the years both in the personal finance and insurance asset management spaces. He is a graduate from Sussex University with a BA honours in French and History and is NCTJ qualified.

Annabel Brodie-Smith, Communications Director, Association of Investment Companies (AIC)
Annabel Brodie-Smith is Communications Director at the Association of Investment Companies (AIC) and has worked at the Association since November 1997. Her role focuses on communicating the uses and benefits of investment companies to the media, opinion formers, advisers, wealth managers and private investors. Annabel frequently comments in the media on investment issues and is passionate about financial education and board diversity. Prior to joining the AIC, Annabel worked at Hill & Knowlton, the PR Agency on the Athens 2004 Olympic bid and other clients. She obtained a B.A in Geography from LSE/King’s College in London and an M.A from Syracuse University in New York.

David Butcher, Founder & Director, Communications and Content
David Butcher is a communications professional with a long experience of adding enterprise value through engaging messaging, thought leadership and reputation management. He is managing director of Communications and Content – a specialist communications consultancy for investment and financial brands – and has worked in the sector for nearly 25 years. He started his career in specialist consultancies, such as Lansons, advising companies on strategic and tactical issues, and held a number of senior roles at blue chip investment businesses, including Fidelity International and M&G Investments. He writes regularly on financial communications in the trade media.

Bella Caridade-Ferreira, CEO, Fundscape
Bella has 20 years’ experience in the research and analysis of the UK, European and Asian fund management industries. In 2010, she established Fundscape, a research house specialising in the end-to-end analysis of the UK fund industry. Fundscape is the publisher of the Platform Report, widely regarded as the platform industry’s official data source. Prior to setting up Fundscape in 2010, she worked for Lipper FMI as Global Head of Research and Publications and was the author of numerous publications and reports including the popular European and Asian Data Digests, the Fund Market Profile report series and the UK Platform guide. Early in her career Bella worked in investment banking and then a London-based consulting firm where she specialised in market entry strategies for fund managers.

Benjamin Dyson, Principal Wealth Strategist, Foresight
Benjamin has over 10 years’ experience at Foresight Wealth Strategists. He is Head of the Foresight Investment Committee and previously was a Senior Telecoms Investment Analyst based in Jersey. Ben was shortlisted by the Financial Times for Multi Asset Manager of the Year in 2018. He was also shortlisted for Financial Adviser of the Year in 2022. Ben was awarded the President’s Award from the CISI for Investment, Risk and Taxation (IAD), as well as Finance Global Awards 2023 and 2024 Wills & Trusts Adviser of the Year and Solidus Estate Planner of the Year 2023. Ben is also the youngest Fellow of the Chartered Insurance Institute (CII).

Edward Gordon Hall, CEO, Druces LLP
Edward is Druces’ Chief Executive Officer, having previously been the Firm’s Finance Director. Having qualified as an accountant in 1995, Edward has over 30 years’ experience of advising and working with professional service firms such as Lewis Silkin and Olswang, predominantly in the legal sector. Focusing particularly on firm strategy, Edward’s role involves the identification and implementation of programmes to drive the future direction and growth of the firm, delivering outstanding service levels to clients whilst retaining the strong people culture that enables all the Firm’s people to thrive in a positive working environment.

Jane Hodges, Managing Director, Money Honey Financial Planning
Jane Hodges has over 30 years of experience in the FS industry, as a financial planner/advisor, executive manager, project manager, compliance expert, and technologist. She runs her own IFA financial planning practice and is a Chartered Financial Planner, Fellow of the PFS, Associate of CII, and SOLLA accredited. Recently passed the STEP certificate for Financial Advisors to support estate planning needs. She has also trained as a Prince 2 Practitioner, contributed to the CII as a Question Writer and Examiner, judged the Money Marketing Awards, and speaks professionally worldwide. Jane champions technology to deliver paper-free services and streamlined solutions, keeping client fees low and service high. Her team works remotely using cloud technology, engaging with clients through video conferences and client portals only. Loves learning with over 100 hours of recorded CPD every year so maintains a broad level of expertise on many subjects. Committed to sharing best practices across all advisors and regular adds to case discussions on Lifetalk. Chair to the new Consumer Duty- Cross Border Alliance- seeking to help the profession understand how best to assist UK Expats and to lobby regulators and governments to reduce detriment and make good advice more easily obtainable.

Kate Monserrate, Director, Simplify Consulting
Kate is an accomplished leader and experienced consultant with over 20 years’ experience in financial services helping businesses deliver and embed large scale transformational change across the wealth industry from asset managers, technology and platform providers to administrators and advisor networks.
In 2014 Kate co-founded Simplify Consulting to deliver maximum value to clients including several key players within the wealth industry applying core values of simplicity, professionalism, and tenacious delivery.

Charles Sunnucks, Fund Manager, Oldfield Partners
Charles is an Emerging Market Fund Manager at value investment boutique Oldfield Partners. He formerly worked at Jupiter Asset Management as a Fund Manager on the Jupiter Emerging & Frontier Income Trust, and at NovitasFTCL as an investment banker conducting cross-bord M&A. Charles is a CFA and CAIA Charterholder, speaks fluent Mandarin, and wrote the popular “Company Valuation Playbook”.

Reuben Overmark, Senior Policy Adviser, Retail Markets, The Investment Association Reuben Overmark is a seasoned financial services and government affairs professional with over 13 years of expertise across the UK, EU, and the US. He currently serves as a senior adviser for retail markets at The Investment Association where he leads strategic industry initiatives relating to consumer investments. Reuben has a built a strong reputation for influencing policy changes and driving positive outcomes with prior roles at the Association of British Insurers, on Capitol Hill and on several successful political campaigns in the US.